Georgia, North America, United States

3 Amazing Wineries in Blue Ridge, Georgia for Wine Tastings

Why you should visit the best wineries Blue Ridge GA offers

This blog post covers the best wineries in Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Blue Ridge is a small town known for breathtaking mountain views and great hiking trails.

But this popular destination nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains is more than a pretty face with picturesque views. It’s also a great place to drink wine!

A cluster of green grapes hangs from a grapevine.
Photo: Odom Springs Vineyards

The wineries Blue Ridge GA offers feature Georgia grown grapes and a welcoming attitude. We’ll cover three wineries and tasting rooms located in the town of Blue Ridge. The first business on this list is a local gem. They make and serve their wine right in Blue Ridge. The remaining two businesses on this list are tasting rooms located in Blue Ridge (but the main wineries are located just outside town). All three businesses serve delicious wine.

Blue Ridge wineries are for wine lovers who appreciate a good glass of wine at the end of a long day. Especially if that day was spent doing outdoor activities in the clean mountain air with beautiful mountain views.

If you’ve never tried Georgia wine then it’s time to get to it. You never know… the wineries Blue Ridge GA offers may serve your new favorite wine.

Two glasses of red wine beside a bottle of red wine atop a table. The wine bottle label says "Paradise Hills." Paradise Hills Winery is among the best wineries near Blue Ridge GA.
Photo: Paradise Hills Winery

How to access Blue Ridge, Georgia

If drinking the best wines in a beautiful setting is for you, then you have to visit the wineries Blue Ridge GA offers. Luckily, Blue Ridge is relatively easy to access.

The town of Blue Ridge, Georgia is within driving distance of several major cities including Nashville, Atlanta, and Charlotte. It should take less than two hours to drive from the Atlanta area to Blue Ridge (about 1 hour and 45 minutes). It’s a roughly 3 hour 45 minute drive from Nashville to Blue Ridge. The drive from Charlotte to Blue Ridge should take about 4 hours and 25 minutes.

Several minor cities and towns are within driving distance of the wineries Blue Ridge GA offers. Chattanooga, Tennessee is about a 90 minute drive. Knoxville, Tennessee is a 2 and a half hour drive. Asheville, North Carolina is also 2 hours and 30 minutes by car. Greenville, South Carolina is just under 3 hours by car. We also have a blog post that covers the best wine bars and wineries Greenville SC offers.

As you can see, you’ve got a lot of options. If you live in any of these states you could easily drive to Blue Ridge. Or, if you live out of state, you could fly into any of these cities, rent a car, and drive from the airport to the wineries Blue Ridge GA offers. Easy, peasy.

The best wineries Blue Ridge GA has to offer

People socialize and sip wine at tables inside the open-air pavilion at Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery, one of the best wineries Blue Ridge GA offers.
Photo: Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery

Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery (Blue Ridge, GA)

Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery is located in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains.

This Blue Ridge property enjoys “rich alluvial plain soil” and cool mountain breezes. According to owner Michelle “Mick” Swim, these are the perfect conditions for growing grapes.

Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery works with a variety of grapes including Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. Winter-hardy varieties such as Vidal Blanc, Cayuga, and Rougeon also make an appearance.

Bear Claw Winery’s outdoor patio (more of an open-air pavilion) is the perfect place to enjoy one of their wine flights. The winery is child and dog friendly. They offer live music on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays all year long.

If you’d like to learn more about the winemaking process, check out the VIP Tasting Experience. Owner (Mick) Michelle Swim leads the VIP tour and tasting every Saturday at 2 PM. The tour costs between $53-69 per person. 

Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery is open from 12-6 PM four days of the week: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Friday they’re open from 12-8 PM. Saturdays they’re open 12-9 PM. The winery is closed Tuesday. The Bear Claw tasting room is located 4.6 miles from downtown Blue Ridge. It should take about 10 minutes to drive from the center of town to this Blue Ridge winery. 

P.S. Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery even has an adorable treehouse where guests can spend the night. Blue Ridge Treehouse is available to rent via the treehouse website. The treehouse is about a 10 minute drive from town, so it’s a great location.

View through a glass door storefront into a store filled with tables and chairs. Wine barrels decorate the shop's exterior and interior.
Photo: Cartecay Vineyards

Cartecay Wine & Craft (Blue Ridge, GA)

Cartecay Wine & Craft is located on Main Street in downtown Blue Ridge. As the name suggests, Cartecay Wine & Craft sells wine made by Cartecay Vineyards.

Cartecay Vineyards works with cold-weather grapes such as Vidal Blanc, Norton, Traminette, and Catawba. In addition to single variety wines they make some interesting blends like a semi-sweet wine made of mead and Traminette grapes.

Cartecay Vineyards has three tasting rooms. There’s one tasting room in downtown Blue Ridge and another in downtown Ellijay. The main tasting room is located on their estate just outside Ellijay.

This location – the Cartecay Wine & Craft in Blue Ridge – is a great place to sample wine. Why? Because they carry their own wine plus craft beer and wine from other Georgia wineries. So if you have a group of people who can’t quite decide what they’d like to drink, visit Cartecay’s Blue Ridge tasting room. 

The Cartecay Wine & Craft tasting room in Blue Ridge is open Monday through Thursday from 12-7 PM. On Friday and Saturday they’re open from 11 AM to 9 PM. Sundays they’re open from 12:30 PM to 6 PM.

The red-painted exterior of Georgia Wine Depot located in Blue Ridge, Georgia.
Photo: Paradise Hills Winery

Georgia Wine Depot (Blue Ridge, GA)

Georgia Wine Depot is a wine tasting room and retail shop in historic downtown Blue Ridge.

They sell high-quality wines made by Paradise Hills Winery, which is based in Blairsville, Georgia. Paradise Hills Winery makes award-winning wines from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Traminette, Riesling, and Chardonnay grapes.

Georgia Wine Depot is a great place to (a) sample a variety of wines and (b) do a little shopping. Although we all know drinking wine and then shopping is a dangerous combination… I imagine Paradise Hills Winery knows this too!

Georgia Wine Depot is located on East Main Street. This Blue Ridge tasting room is open Thursday and Friday from 11 AM to 6 PM. On Saturday they’re open from 11 AM to 8 PM. Sundays they’re open from 1-5 PM. The tasting room is closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Empty vineyard rows at Paradise Hills Winery located in Blairsville, Georgia.
Photo: Paradise Hills Winery

Similar wine regions to explore

Other wine towns near Blue Ridge GA

Blue Ridge, Georgia isn’t the only town to combine wonderful wine and the stunning beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Greenville, South Carolina is a small city set against the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina. The best wineries Greenville SC offers range from sophisticated city wine bars to quaint family-owned wineries in the countryside. It’s the best of both worlds!

Elkin, North Carolina is a tiny town nestled in the Blue Ridge foothills beside the Yadkin River. The best wineries Elkin NC offers are located within a fifteen minute drive of the historic downtown main street.

Smith Mountain Lake is nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The best Smith Mountain Lake wineries reflect the area’s easygoing attitude and rural charm. Our list includes wineries located around the lake. They’re the perfect addition to a busy weekend spent outdoors.

Worthwhile wineries outside Georgia State

Pennsylvania is far north of Blue Ridge, Georgia. And yet, I think wine enthusiasts might like it.

New Hope, Pennsylvania is a quirky artsy town located near Philadelphia. New Hope’s Main Street is lined with art galleries, restaurants, and a gourmet food market. The best New Hope wineries have an approachable atmosphere and delicious wine.

Chester County is a hilly wine growing region just outside Philadelphia. The best Chester County wineries on our list range from small family-owned wineries to large businesses with big estates.

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